Barrel-shaping machine



(No Model.)

J. M. ROBINSON.

BARREL SHAPING MAGHINE.

No. 297,010. Patented Apr. 1 5, 1884.

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UNITED STATES A'rnNr trier..

JOSEPH M. ROBINSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

BARREL-sHAPiNG Maes-HNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,010, dated April15, 1884.

Application tiled December 28, 1883. (No model.)

To @ZZ w/Lom/ it' may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH M. ROBINSON, of Brooklyn7 in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Barrel-Shaping Machines; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,making a part or" this specification.

My invention relates to the apparatus employed in steaming and shapingcasks or barrels; and the object of my improvement is to facilitatedrawing in and shaping the steamed staves to form the cask, preparatoryto heading the same.

It consists in combining with the steamingbox a cord or wire loop orband adapted to'be slipped over the upper free ends ofthe staves afterthey have been set up around one head of the cask, the loop beingarranged to be so drawn and tightened by means of a screw or equivalentmechanical device, operated from the outside of the box, as to bend inand draw the staves together after they have been softened by the steam,and thus form and unite them into the shape required in the finishedeask.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a vertical central sectionthrough the improved steaming-box; Fig. 2, a transverse sectionV in linex x of Fig. l, and Fig. 3 a view in perspective of a winding-drumconstituting an equivalent for a traveling nut in drawing up theforming-loop.

A represents a steaming-box, of any approved construction, adapted toreceive the shook after the staves S S have been set up in positionaround the lower head, T.

A is the steam-supply pipe for the box, and A the exhaust-pipe.

B is a strong lloop or iiexible band-preferably oi wire-long enough toencircle the free ends of the staves in the shook when set up. The twoends of this loop are brought near together and passed each around afriction-roller, C, Fig. 2, journaled at the side of the box on a levelsomewhat below t-he upper ends of the staves, and are led out to atraveling nut, 5o D, whichis fitted upon a screw, E, mounted to rotatein a lateral recess or chamber, F,

formed on the side of the steaming-box. The rotation of the nut isprevented by the lateral longitudinal guide-strips d d, upon which it isfree to traverse. The outer end or shank of the screw E extendsoutwardly through a suitable gland or stufng-box in the end of thechamber F, with a steamtight joint, and terminates in a head, G,yadapted to be engaged by a rod or lever, II, or which may be fittedwith a crank, to facilitate its rotation.

As an equivalent for the traveling nut upon the screw E, a rotating drumor pulley, K, (see Fig. 3,) may be mounted in the lateral chamber F, andthe ends of the loop or band B secured thereto, so that by rotating thedrum the cord or wire constituting the loop, being wound up thereon,will be tightened and contracted about the staves, as required. The drummay be rotated by a crank tted upon 7o the end of its axle or shaft,made to project outside ofthe chamber F, and its reverse movement inwinding the loop be prevented by a pawl and ratchet.

In the use of inyimproved forming apparatus, the straight staves of thecask are set up in the usual manner around the lower head and confinedby means of a band or hoop, L, and the shook thus set up is placedwithin the steaming-box A. The flexible formingloop SO or contractileband B is then passed over the upper ends of the staves S S, to encircleand embrace them. The box is then closed and steam admitted theretothrough the pipe A until the staves have became suiiiciently soft- 8 5ened to readily bend. The loop B is then drawn up or tightened aroundthe staves by a rotation of the screw E, actuating the traveling nut D,to which the ends of the loop are secured, or by a rotation of the drumK, if that 9o be employed. As the nut D moves outward or the drum Krotates, the loop B, closing and contracting around the staves, willdraw them closely together edge to edge, their form producing, when theyare thus united, the proper bulge or Outward curvature required in thefinished cask. Vhen the staves are thus fully drawn up and tightlyclosed together, they are confined by means of a clamping-hook until thecask is removed from the box and nally roo hooped in the usual manner.

It is evident that various devices adapted to be operated from outsidethe steaming-box may be employed for contracting the loop B around thestavcs after they are steamed, and I contemplate the use in thisconnection of any of these well-known mechanical appliances.

Heretofore the shook, after being set up and steamed7 has been removedfrom the steamingbox7 in order to draw up and bend and close the stavestogether. My improved method of bending and closing up the staves Withinthe steaming-box obviates all the difficulties which attended the pldprocess, because ofthe rapid cooling of the staves aftertheir removaland the loss of time attendant upon the opening and consequentcoolingot' the box required to ascertain whether the staves have attained aproper condition for removal, or in waiting a longer time than necessaryto insure positively such aproper condition. By closing the staveswithin the box I am enabled to perform the operation at the earliestpossible moment7 and the operation having been commenced it may becontinued Without interruption or failure and Without any unnecessarydelay in each case until fully completed.

I claim as my inventionl. The method herein described of forming casks,which consists in submitting the straight staves, when set up around oneof the heads of the cask, to the action of steam in a steamingbox,drawing and completely closing the softened staves together to form thecask While still inclosed Within the steaming-box, and binding andsecuring the free ends ofthe closed staves in position before removingthe Cask from the box.

. 2. The combination, with a steaming-box adapted to receive the set-upshook of a Cask,

of a flexible contractile loop or band fitted within t-he box inposition to encircle the staves of the shook, and arranged to becontracted by suitable mechanical devices oper-`

